The art of toolmaking requires precision shaping of workpieces, particularly in grinding operations, and a convenient and widely used holder for the workpieces is some sort of a V-block against which the workpieces are clamped while being ground.
Since many grinding programs make necessary several releasing and reclamping operations for repositioning the workpiece in the conventional V-block, the substantial periods of time required for such manipulations constitutes an important part of the cost of the machining operation; toolmakers are highly skilled craftsmen commanding commensurately high hourly rates of pay.
There are now available several V-block fixtures having two or more V-shaped recesses, the use of which requires repositioning the fixture by inverting it or turning it on a side. Other known fixtures embody several V-blocks differing in height, the desired elevation of the workpiece being effected by selecting the appropriate V-block or some group combination thereof.
The invention herein enables the position of a V-block with a workpiece clamped therein to be quickly and easily reset, not only to a large number of raised or lowered positions with respect to the axis of an associated indexing holder, but also through a 90.degree. angle, moving the axis of the workpiece, for example, from a horizontal to a vertical disposition.